Grove

A 5K run to raise money for a scholarship named for a slain Pennsylvania Wildlife Conservation Officer will be held Saturday.

The WCO David L. Grove Memorial Run will be held at John C. Rudy County Park. All proceeds will go toward the scholarship fund, said Jason Raup, assistant council for the state's Game Commission and a wildlife conservation officer.

Scholarships are for Penn State or Penn State DuBois students looking to pursue a career in the wildlife field.

First preference will be given to Pennsylvania students who have an interest in becoming a conservation officer, Raup said.

"It's kind of cool that it goes full circle," Raup said.

Grove: An eight-year veteran of the game commission, Grove, 31, was gunned down in Freedom Township, Adams County, in November 2010.

He was on nighttime patrol looking for game-law violations when he witnessed what he believed to be a poaching incident, specifically spotlight hunting with gunfire.

Grove called for backup and ordered Christopher Lynn Johnson, 27 at the time, of 16 Ski Run Trail in Fairfield, Adams County, and a passenger out of Johnson's pickup truck.

A struggle and a ferocious exchange of gunfire ensued, police said, leaving Grove fatally wounded. Johnson, a convicted felon, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and other offenses.

Run: When Raup and fellow organizers started to plan the run, they didn't know how many participants to expect.

They initially set the cap, which has since been lifted, at 300 runners. That mark has all but been reached, Raup said.

"It's about 200 more that we expected," he said. "We're just really surprised."

The course will take runners throughout the park and is mostly flat.

Trophies will be awarded to the overall male and female winners, and medals will be awarded to first, second and third finishers in respective age categories. All participants are eligible for post-race giveaways.

A number of businesses and organizations, including sportsmen clubs, in York and Adams counties donated items and money to help get the run off the ground, Raup said.

"It shows what Dave's memory means to them," he said.

-- Reach Greg Gross at 505-5434, ggross@yorkdispatch.com, or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/greggrss.